2010 Event Recap

The 2010 David Busta Basketball Tournament and Silent Auction was much like those that preceded it, which is good. How was it similar?

Did it have an impressive quality and quantity of silent auction items? Yes. There was something for everyone.The auction continues to grow and in 2010 there was some beautiful arts and crafts, including handmade wall hangings and carvings. There were several packages of sports tickets and tons of autographed memorabilia. There were countless gift certificates, and for the 2nd year in a row, a purebred American Bulldog puppy.

Did it have a good turnout of players, spectators and silent auction bidders? Yes. While there is always room for more spectators and bidders, we had an abundance of players in 2010. We had our maximum number of 8 mens teams, and also had 3 womens teams.

Was the level of competition high on the basketball courts? Yes. We have many players who participate every year, and those who have not yet won the championship are driven to accomplish that goal someday. We are continually impressed with the action on the courts and pleased with the level of sportsmanship the players display.

Did the men's team captained by Dave Cowley win again? Yes. Dave always comes comes to the tournament with the same core of 4 or 5 players and a few other complementary pieces. He takes a lot of pride in his team's record over the course of the history of our tournament. Is someone going to take them off of their championship perch in 2011?

Did the women's team captained by Sarah Knepper and Jennica Paulson win again? Yes. While not as dominant as Team Cowley in the men's division, the co-captains of Knepper and Paulson return with another championship team. Knepper and Paulson had a different view in 2010. They both watched from the sideline as pregnancies kept them out of the action.

Was there another Bags for Busta event at the offices of David's employer, GMR Marketing? Yes. Nearly 100 players took part in the annual beanbag toss tournament. There was also an accompanying silent auction. The event again raised over $5000.

Most importantly, was the 2010 event successful in raising money for spinal cord injury research at the University of Wisconsin's Waisman Center? ABSOLUTELY! In all, approximately $35,000 was raised and donated to the David Busta Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund at the Waisman Center. The entire planning committee for the event was again thrilled with the results. Our cumulative total funds raised in 8 years of the tournament and silent auction is over $240,000. We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished and eternally grateful to all those who have participated over the years.